Few can claim direct involvement with the formation of Oklahoma’s distinct mix of country, rock, and roots music known affectionately as Red Dirt, and Stoney LaRue is one of them. Stoney LaRue has been a warrior of the Texas and Red Dirt touring circuit for nearly 20 years. Now he’s getting ready to release a new album called “Onward.”
Tracy Lawrence may not have a shot at radio anymore, but he’s certainly been a beneficiary of the resurgence of interest in 90’s country lately, of which he played a pretty major role. Tracy Lawrence promised back in April that ‘Made in America’ would be “very country,” and he doesn’t disappoint in the 12 tracks of the new record.
Sturgill Simpson will release a new song and video called “Sing Along” on Tuesday, August 20th at noon as indicated by a premier event that populated on YouTube via Sturgill Simpson’s official account on Monday (see below). It’s the first taste of a new album coming this fall called Sound & Fury that will be accompanied by an anime film.
Riding the momentum of his recent #1 album ‘Country Squire,’ Tyler Childers has added to his 2019 tour dates, and added even more dates stretching into 2020, including another big stint in Europe, an important benefit show, and a four-night residency at the Country Music Mother Church, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
The commonality of criticizing country radio within the ranks of country music’s classic and independent fans is pretty severe, and for good reason. Generally speaking, country radio is a blob of nationalized playlists and unimaginative music, and no curation by the DJs on the ground in local markets. But this doesn’t mean all radio is bad.
PBS is gearing up for the release of the extensive 8 part, 16-hour Country Music Documentary starting September 15th directed by Ken Burns. And ahead of the release, PBS is trying to engage the country music public by asking people to share who their favorite country music icon is. They started by asking Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, & Ray Benson.
Willie Nelson had a lot of folks worried when late on August 7th, he released a statement saying, “To my fans, I’m sorry to cancel my tour, but I have a breathing problem that I need to have my doctor check out. I’ll be back Love, Willie.” The statement came after Willie had been performing at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.
The entirety of Blake Shelton’s career just devolved quicker than a political discussion with your drunk and racist uncle at Thanksgiving dinner. All the headway country music has made over the last couple of years, and now we have to figure out how to maneuver around this “Hell Right” bullshit.
Just like in May when a new song from Randy Travis surfaced called “One in a Row” unexpectedly, we have yet another new song from the Country Music Hall of Famer called “Lead Me Home” that has just been made available to the public via streaming services. The bluegrass-inspired “Lead Me Home” was originally an iTunes exclusive.
Miranda Lambert’s latest album will be called “Wildcard.” Along with the album release date and artwork, we also get to see track list and songwriting collaborators Miranda Lambert worked with on the album. A regular champion of quality songwriters, ‘Wildcard’ will be no different, even if the sound and approach is.
It’s kind of curious that the Country Music Mother Church hasn’t become a conveyor belt for live records like some other important venues in country music have. Now after Jason Isbell released a Live from the Ryman album in 2018, others are getting in on the action, including Old Crow Medicine Show and Brothers Osborne.
If you tracked the rapid and uncanny ascent of Tyler Childers producer Sturgill Simpson, then you know that podcaster, comedian, and public personality Joe Rogan played a critical role in the explosion of interest in Sturgill’s album ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music,’ and ultimately in his Grammy-winning career.
It’s a new era in mainstream country music. Artists like Riley Green, and songs like “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” featuring ample steel guitar and twang aren’t being shied away from. They’re being favored as the hot commodity of the moment amid the dying embers of Bro Country. You can thank performers like Chris Stapleton, Jon Pardi, and Luke Combs for opening up this opportunity.
Chuck Hawthorne writes songs for you to lose yourself in, with lush characters you feel like you’ve known your whole life, dropped into scenes you can see and smell and touch, with all the little artifacts of life and references in the writing at or near perfect. From the best years for vintage motorcycles to the sacred rites of Native American traditions…
Tyler Childers and his major label debut album Country Squire are #1 in country music. Tyler Childers joins a very select group of artists who’ve gone #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart with no significant mainstream radio play, including Sturgill Simpson, Aaron Watson, Blackberry Smoke, and Jason Isbell.
As first reported by Saving Country Music in early June, a new album by Ft. Worth native and surging independent country traditionalist Cody Jinks called After The Fire will be released on October 11th. Now we have the album art and track listing to accompany the news, as well as other details.
The Man in Black is gone, but his legacy won’t be forgotten. Johnny Cash’s presence not just as a country music star, but as an American icon has made him a cultural figure that transcends genre and entertainment, and we’ve seen that in the way he’s been embraced in all walks of life. A new website and restaurant have been launched.
For over 30 years, the album ‘Always and Forever’ by Country Music Hall of Famer Randy Travis held the record for the longest-running #1 country music album released by a solo male in country music history. Originally released in 1987 as Randy’s second proper studio album, it spent an incredible 43 weeks atop the charts.
After being a conduit for many to see the timeless value in Western Swing over the last 15 years, and performing many of the subgenre’s classics for appreciative fans, The Quebe Sisters are looking to do something a little different with their upcoming self-titled album. “This album represents a new direction for us.”
Universal Pictures has pulled the marketing behind a new horror film called The Hunt which features Sturgill Simpson as a major cast member. Still set to be released on September 27th, and first announced on July 30th, the film and its promotion have stirred controversy over the last couple days due to both theits political nature.
Country music doesn’t deserve Robbie Fulks, and Robbie Fulks doesn’t deserve the perilous and unjust trappings of country music. This guy should be designing jet engines or transplanting hearts or something. Yet here he is spinning hillbilly tales for penny fractions on Spotify, though we’re not complaining.
Two workers were killed Wednesday afternoon (8-8) on the site of the Pickathon Festival in Happy Valley, Oregon, just outside of Portland, while helping to disassemble the tents above the main stage. Located on the Pendarvis Farm, the Pickathon Festival occurred last weekend (August 1st-4th).
The historic building standing at 152 Nassau Street in downtown Atlanta that was days from demolition has received a stay of execution from an Atlanta judge. Considered the true birthplace of country music for the time in 1923 when recording engineer and producer Ralph Peer captured Fiddlin’ John Carson in the space.
After growing frustrated by having to cater his songs to what country radio would play, Kendell Marvel launched a solo career. Now he’s looking to take his solo career a step further by partnering with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys as both producer and label owner to release “Solid Gold Sounds.”
